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Stephens County, Georgia
Stephens County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 26,175. The county seat is Toccoa. Stephens County comprises the Toccoa, GA Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Originally inhabited by Mississippi Indian mound builders and then by Cherokee Indians, the first non-Indians in the area were Revolutionary War veterans who migrated up the Savannah River and the Tugaloo River after the war. Created on August 18, 1905 from parts of Franklin County and Habersham County, the county is named for Alexander Stephens, U.S. representative, Vice President of the Confederate States of America, and fifty-third governor of Georgia. Two courthouses have served Stephens County. The first courthouse was built in 1908, and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The second was built in 2000. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.8%) is water. The northern half of Stephens County is located in the Tugaloo River sub-basin of the Savannah River basin, while the southern half of the county is located in the Broad River sub-basin of the same Savannah River basin. Major highways * U.S. Route 123 * State Route 17 * State Route 17 Alternate * State Route 63 * State Route 105 * State Route 106 * State Route 145 * State Route 184 * State Route 328 * State Route 365 Adjacent counties *Oconee County, South Carolina (north) *Franklin County (south) *Banks County (southwest) *Habersham County (west) National protected area * Chattahoochee National Forest (part) Demographics |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 }} As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 26,175 people, 10,289 households, and 7,236 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 12,662 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 85.1% white, 10.9% black or African American, 0.7% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.0% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 14.7% were American, 9.1% were Irish, 8.1% were German, and 7.4% were English. Of the 10,289 households, 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.7% were non-families, and 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 40.7 years. The median income for a household in the county was $34,938 and the median income for a family was $41,768. Males had a median income of $35,814 versus $24,834 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,285. About 12.3% of families and 18.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.9% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over. Communities *Avalon *Eastanollee *Martin *Toccoa Politics Further reading *Cooksey, Elizabeth B. "Stephens County." New Georgia Encyclopedia. 14 October 2014. Web. 18 May 2016. See also *Toccoa Falls College *North Georgia Technical College *National Register of Historic Places listings in Stephens County, Georgia References External links *Stephens County Development Authority *Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce *Things to do in Stephens County *Stephens County history *Toccoa-Stephens County community website *North Georgia Technical College *Toccoa Falls College Category:Stephens County, Georgia Category:Counties of Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Counties of Appalachia Category:Settlements established in 1905 Category:1905 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)